Welcome to the fourteenth edition of Fresh Voices, a project from and for the League’s associate members. The League’s associate members are talented poets who are writing and publishing poetry on their way to becoming established professional poets in the Canadian literary community. We are excited to be taking this opportunity to showcase the work of our associate members in this series!

How to be ready*

by Roy Adams

“… offer oneself at the critical moment”
.                                            Leonard Cohen

Don’t leverage
.    fame
nor mass-produce
.    lines

Instead
.    make a piece
with hand-soldered
.    planes
of silvered brass
.    feigning

a massive
.    shell
opening
.    to reveal
.    .    .    crystalline
.    .    glass
.    shelves

When the
.    .    .    emergency
.    .    becomes
.    articulate
you will be
.    .    .    ready

*Inspired by text in T The New York Times Style Magazine
March 5, 2017

Roy J. Adams is a semi-retired McMaster Professor of Industrial Relations who has been writing poetry seriously since 2013. Since then he has published work in Canada (e.g., Vallum, The Fiddlehead, Feathertale, Tower Poetry, The Banister), USA (e.g., Rats Ass Review, Typishly), UK (ninemusespoetry), Australia (Ariel Chart) and Singapore (Eunoia Review). His first chapbook, Bebop From Beau’s Caboose, appeared in October, 2018.

Tree on a Rock

by Carol Casey

I hear the whisper of a rock, hum
hum humming its way to wonderment.
Tree roots forking on the rock,
branches broken early, growing bent.
Tendrils probing, stretching, burnt
in sun and air, seeking nourishment.
Tiny leaf, triumphant life, that nature’s
circumstance did not prevent.

A busy hand sweeps the rock clean
wipes the dirt off on his pants
looking to improve the view.

Scientists dissect our frogs
and wonder where the angels went.
A child wanders in the stars
then settles for a dimmer firmament
I feel the heartbeat of the rock, throb,
throb, throbbing its way to something less.

Carol Casey been writing poetry since age 13 and never completely stopped, even though work, family responsibilities and general life calamities often and persistently took precedence over poetry promotion. Writing poetry has been a mainstay throughout her life, empowering and grounding her through many ups and downs. In 2005 she joined the Huron Poetry Collective and remains an active participant. She also attends the Stratford Poet’s Workshop when possible. She has given numerous readings and her poetry has appeared in two chapbooks by the Huron Poetry Collective, “No Corners to Hide in” and “The Language of Dew and Sunsets; and in periodicals such as “The Leaf”, “Toward the Light” and “Tickled by Thunder”. She has also contributed to two anthologies about women and health care, “Women Who Care: Women’s Stories of Health Care and Caring” and “Much Madness, Divinest Sense: Women’s Stories of Mental Health and Health Care”. She is looking forward to entering more fully into the Canadian poetic conversation.

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Curated by Lesley Strutt and Blaine Marchand, these poems represent just a small portion of the great work being produced by our members, and we are excited to have this opportunity to share their poetry with you.

If you are interested in contributing to Fresh Voices, please send 3-5 poems to [email protected]. You may submit only once per month, but you may submit every month until your poetry is selected. This opportunity is open only to associate members of the League. Not yet a member? Please visit our membership page for details on how to apply!